Apparatus for keeping tobacco moist



1929- .1. F. OCHSENREITER 1,724,958

APPARATUS FOR KEEPING TOBACCO MOIST Filed law 2, 192a I v A INVENTOR. Ala reilgr Patented Aug. 20, 1929.

UNITED STATES JOHN F. OCHSENREITER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

APPARATUS FOR KEEPING TOBACCO MOIST Application filed May 2, 1928.

My invention relates to preventing cut tobacco or other articles of consumption from becoming dry, or in other words, a device for maintaining such articles at a certain degree of moisture, and in palatable condition.

The main object of the invention is to furnish a device having these qualities in the form of an absorbent or porous pad that will fit in the lid of an ordinary tin or tobacco receptacle and which is of very simple construction and easy to manufacture at a very low cost so as to be marketed cheaply.

All smokers are aware that tobacco which has been kept in its container for any length of time and particularly in hot weather, becomesvery dry, so much so, that it is unfit for smoking and if used at all is apt to burn the smokers tongue and throat.

My invention is primarily intended for application to the usual, fiat container, hip pocket size, in which smoking tobacco is packed and which may be obtained at every tobacco store. But it will be evident from the following description that the invention is equally well adapted for other packages of any form or shape and also for containers other than those holding tobacco, such as receptacles for food stuffs and the like that have to be kept in a slightly moist condition.

In the accompanying drawing my invention is illustrated and Fig. 1 shows a bottom plan view of a lid for the container seen in Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 shows a fragmentary vertical section of a flat container with a suitable porous pad;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View of a lid for the round container seen in Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section of a cylindrical container;

Fig. 5 a plan View of one form of retaining clip or spring and Fig. 6 a similar View of another form of cli In the following, the invention is described as applied to a container for tobacco, but it is evident that it is equally well applicable to containers for other articles of consumption.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, numeral 10 denotes a fiat box or container commonly used for out smoking tobacco and of a size and shape suitable for carrying in the hip pocket. As usual the Serial No. 274,558.

tobacco is preferably enclosed in a bag 11 of paper or the like and this bag is placed in the box or receptacle. A lid 12 fits over the open end of the receptacle and may be made removable or, as shown at 13, hinged to the top edge thereof. The foregoing description relates to commonlyused containers which form no part of the present lnvention.

My invention relates to the pad 14, made of any suitable porous or moist absorbing material, such as felt, cotton, filter or the like. This pad is fairly thin and Hat and shaped to fit tightly in the lid, as the drawing indicates. pad stays in place, I preferably, but not necessarily, provide a clip 15, which may be made of spring wire cut to the interior contour of the lid and is sprung into position against the pad 14 and pressing tightly against the side walls 16 of the lid 12. The ends 17 of the clip do not meet but are spaced apart.

In Figs. 5 and 6 slightly modified shapes of spring clips are shown. The clip indicated in Fig. 5 is bent to U-shape with its straight middle portion 18 contacting with one side wall of the lid 16, while from this middle portion arms 19 extend across to the opposite side wall and terminate in outwardly bent shanks 20 pressing against said side and provided with bent ends 21 fitting the curved portions of the lid.

The clip shown in F i 6 has two arms 23 extending diagonally fi'om the middle elbow 24 which abuts against the middle of one side wall of the lid 16. The bent ends 25 with which the arms terminate follow the curvature of the lid walls. In this manner pad 14 is retained against the top of the it.

With the top of the bag 11 broken to expose the tobacco, while the lid 12 is swung open, a few drops of water is sprinkled on the pad, whereupon the lid is again closed. In this manner the moisture on the pad will be transferred to the top layer of tobacco thereby keeping it in good condition for smoking. The clip has another function besides that of retaining the pad in position, namely to serve as a distance piece to prevent the moist pad from coming in direct contact with the tobacco which would be detrimental to the latter. Now only the evaporated water can reach the tobacco so In order to insure that the as to be slowly absorbed by the same.

In Figs. 3 and 4 my device is shown as applied to a cylindrical receptacle 27 with a corresponding lid 28 fitting tightly round the open upper end thereof. Pressed against the top of the lid and against its side wall is a porous or moist-absorbing pad 29 which may be retained in position by a spring clip 30 in the shape of a split ring with its ends 31 coming almost together. Instead of this clip, a bead, similar to the bead 32 forming a stop for the lid, may be provided around the wall of the lid and behind which the pad may be lodged.

As before, the pad 29 is sprinkled with a few drops of water, so that when the lid is again placed in position over the opening of the receptacle, the tobacco can absorb some of the moisture. It should be noted that this method of keeping the tobacco'in proper smoking condition permits the moisture to reach only the uppermost layer of the tobacco,thus leaving the bulk thereof in dryer condition. The reason for this is that an excess of moisture would spoil the tobacco or other contents of the box.

It is evident that many changes in the details and construction of the device may be made under the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1-. A moistening device for articles of consumption, comprising a pad of absorbent material, in combination with a receptacle for such articles, said receptacle being provided with a lid provided with a continuous, marginal side wall in which the pad fits snugly spaced from said articles, and means for retaining the pad in the lid, said means consisting of an expansible clip made from one piece of wire bent to form a double ogee and adapted to press against said side wall at at least three points substantially equidistant apart.

2. The combination with a receptacle having a substantially fiat sided lid with curved end walls, of an absorbent pad fitting snugly in the lid, and means for spacing the pad away from the contents of the receptacle and retaining the pad in the lid, said means consisting of a clip made of piece of spring wire bent substantially in U-shape and having a middle portion with arms extending across the lid and outwardly bent shanks terminating with curved ends adapted to fit the end walls of the lid, said middle portion and shanks adapted to fit tightly between the sides of the lid.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

JOHN F. OCHSENREITER. 

